Las Vegas can kiss their franchise hopes goodbye. Even if it only ends up being one bad ref, the perception-issue alone will give a reluctant Stern all the reason he needs to keep the NBA out of Vegas.

I know, I know...it's a gambling and organized crime issue not a Las Vegas problem per se, but on the heels of the All Star game mess this is probably the last nail in that coffin.

There were people that lost money betting because games were fixed. Can they get a refund? If you play the lottery and later on find out that it is rigged, wouldn't you be trying to get your $$$ back?

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LOL. Don't they wish. Gambling is gambling and that is one of the variables in gambling. Of course a liberal court might find a way to force the legal gambling institutions to return funds where the better can prove that they bet on a certain game that was fixed and the fix affected their bet and led to them losing the bet.

But a conservative court I think would rule that it is all part of the gambling thing and just another variable in the outcome of the bet that the bettor assumes responsibility for when they bet.

Las Vegas can kiss their franchise hopes goodbye. Even if it only ends up being one bad ref, the perception-issue alone will give a reluctant Stern all the reason he needs to keep the NBA out of Vegas.

I know, I know...it's a gambling and organized crime issue not a Las Vegas problem per se, but on the heels of the All Star game mess this is probably the last nail in that coffin.

"As we previously stated, we have been cooperating with the FBI in their investigation of allegations that a single NBA referee bet on NBA games that he officiated. As part of that cooperation, we were asked by the Government not to comment about the investigation, but in light of the widespread press coverage and the naming of the referee, Tim Donaghy, we consider it appropriate to make a fuller statement.

"We would like to assure our fans that no amount of effort, time or personnel is being spared to assist in this investigation, to bring to justice an individual who has betrayed the most sacred trust in professional sports, and to take the necessary steps to protect against this ever happening again. We will have more to say at a press conference that will be scheduled for next week."

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From what I had been reading on news sites and hearing on the radio today, I assumed Stern was just going to go with "the FBI asked us not to comment, so all we'll say is that we're cooperating fully." Instead, he (1) confirmed that Donaghy is the target, and (2) made it clear he thinks Donaghy is guilty as charged. Stern is an attorney, and he wouldn't issue a statement like this unless the evidence was very strong.

We this guy refereed a couple of pistons games last season. Don't think that this ssue stops with Donaghy.

This is only the beginning. 9 times out of 10 there are other crooked ones that need to be added to the list.

We pistons fans have alluded to this for years, now it's coming to fruition.

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According to my count, he reffed one regular season Pistons game, and we won it. Every single team in the NBA has fans who think the refs are out to get them. I think it's hogwash, a nice bedtime story to help us feel better about losing or not doing what it takes to dominate the competition.

This issue stops with Donaghy. Take it the bank (or the casino, as it were)

This issue stops with Donaghy. Take it the bank (or the casino, as it were)

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And you are positive about this?

100%?

Tim was betting on games he reffed (makes sense) as well as games in which he was not the referee (wait a minute here).

Why would he bet on a game that wasn't "a sure thing" when he could just wait until his number came back around?

Unless of course he had a cohort. Or two. Or three.

All in all, I don't believe we can be 100% sure that Tim is the only guy out there. It's not like the idea to do this was just innovated, and the fact that he did it only proves that it can be done right under the proverbial nose of the NBA.

All Tim amounts to is the only person that got caught. He may still roll over on any buddies he could have been working with.

Then again, if the "mob ties" are true, he might come up missing before then.

I just think the "mob ties" thing is a easy tidy way to keep people from looking at other refs. It's easy to say "This guy got caught up with the 'wrong people.'" without actually conducting any further investigations. I seriously doubt he's the only one.

I just think the "mob ties" thing is a easy tidy way to keep people from looking at other refs. It's easy to say "This guy got caught up with the 'wrong people.'" without actually conducting any further investigations. I seriously doubt he's the only one.

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I seriously doubt the NBA tries to prevent any further investigations. The NBA is made of money. Anything possible to eradicate this image of truly corrupt referees will be worth it to them. Let the witch hunts begin!

I seriously doubt the NBA tries to prevent any further investigations. The NBA is made of money. Anything possible to eradicate this image of truly corrupt referees will be worth it to them. Let the witch hunts begin!

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JC, what if they turn up 5 refs in an investigation?

Consider how many games would be under scrutiny as possibly being compromised. The devastation would probably warrant Stern's resignation.

Consider how many games would be under scrutiny as possibly being compromised. The devastation would probably warrant Stern's resignation.

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Oh, absolutely. And I do like to play the what if? game, and I like hearing these other ideas about what people think is going on. I just think that Stern is too smart to have let something that ugly happen. He would resign in such a case, I would think, primarily over the perception that he was grossly incompetent in not detecting this or preventing it. Of all the things we say about Davey, has grossly incompetent ever been one of them? The man is a shark, and he has been all over this league. Color me very very surprised if we find out he has let this get away him.

Oh, and devastation is definitely the right word for the fallout from such a revelation.